JP-7

SR-71 crew chief explains why the Blackbird never stopped to leak fuel and why SR-71s on public display are still weeping JP-7 today – The Aviation Geek Club

A problem of flying at Mach 3+ was that at the time when the SR-71 was devised no sealant would withstand the extreme heat that an airplane cruising at that speed would make. Hence the Blackbird leaked fuel. CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with …

SR-71 crew chief explains why the Blackbird never stopped to leak fuel and why SR-71s on public display are still weeping JP-7 today – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

The SR-71 Blackbird had a Smart Valve that allowed to use JP-7 fuel as internal coolant. Here’s how it worked. – The Aviation Geek Club

The SR-71 Blackbird smart valve supplied only the hottest fuel to the engines and sent cooler fuel to retracted landing gear and avionics. CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 …

The SR-71 Blackbird had a Smart Valve that allowed to use JP-7 fuel as internal coolant. Here’s how it worked. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Blackbird pilot recalls when an SR-71 slid on JP-7 fuel residue while taxing into Kadena Hangar – The Aviation Geek Club

As the Blackbird entered the hangar, it encountered water on the ground, which had mixed with the SR-71’s specialized JP-7 fuel. Together, the two liquids created an extremely slippery surface. CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew …

Blackbird pilot recalls when an SR-71 slid on JP-7 fuel residue while taxing into Kadena Hangar – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

KC-135A Crew Chief recalls when his Stratotanker had to purge its tanks of the JP-4 to load JP-7 to refuel an SR-71 Blackbird (No KC-135Q was available) – The Aviation Geek Club

The SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane could be refueled by standard Stratotankers in the event KC-135Qs were not available. The SR-71 would be a very short-ranged aircraft were it not for air refueling, limited to around 2,000 NM. Multiple air refuelings extended the range of the aircraft to the limits of crew endurance. Many …

KC-135A Crew Chief recalls when his Stratotanker had to purge its tanks of the JP-4 to load JP-7 to refuel an SR-71 Blackbird (No KC-135Q was available) – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Not only JP-7: the SR-71 could use JP-4 and JP-5 as emergency fuels but they both limited the Blackbird top speed to Mach 1.5 – The Aviation Geek Club

The SR-71 Blackbird was the first aircraft to use its own fuel for hydraulic fluid. It was called the fuel hydraulic system. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird T-Shirts! The legendary SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane was powered by two 34,000 lbf (151,240 N) thrust-class J58 afterburning turbojet engines. Each engine contained a nine-stage …

Not only JP-7: the SR-71 could use JP-4 and JP-5 as emergency fuels but they both limited the Blackbird top speed to Mach 1.5 – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Habu Pilot reveals why the Blackbird had to refuel after takeoff (it’s not because the SR-71 leaked fuel) – The Aviation Geek Club

No story on the SR-71 would be complete without an understanding and appreciation of just how valuable the KC-135Q model tankers and their crews were to the successful and safe completion of every mission. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird T-Shirts! The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft …

Habu Pilot reveals why the Blackbird had to refuel after takeoff (it’s not because the SR-71 leaked fuel) – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

When the SR-71 was getting low on gas, its crew members pressure suits started to warm up. So aboard the Blackbird the fuel was used as a heat sink. Here’s how. – The Aviation Geek Club

SR-71 Blackbird crew members have said that they sometimes came down looking for a tanker, not so much because they were running out of gas but because their gas was getting too hot. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. My Dad, Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer …

When the SR-71 was getting low on gas, its crew members pressure suits started to warm up. So aboard the Blackbird the fuel was used as a heat sink. Here’s how. – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

SR-71 crew members tell the story of when a Blackbird did ’13 Fireballs’ during an air show and explain why Triethylborane was used to ignite JP-7 for engine start and to light the afterburner section – The Aviation Geek Club

‘To ignite the JP-7 for engine start, and to light the afterburner section, a liquid chemical ignition system was used. The liquid chemical, triethylborane (TEB), had the physical property of exploding when exposed to air,” Richard H. Graham SR-71 Blackbird pilot. CLICK HERE to buy unique SR-71 Blackbird merchandise for your HABU collection. The SR-71, unofficially …

SR-71 crew members tell the story of when a Blackbird did ’13 Fireballs’ during an air show and explain why Triethylborane was used to ignite JP-7 for engine start and to light the afterburner section – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

Did you know the SR-71 crew set off controlled explosions using Triethylborane (the most dangerous material after fissionable nuclear material) to start the Blackbird engines? – The Aviation Geek Club

Linda Sheffield Miller Grew up at Beale Air Force Base, California. I am a Habubrat. Graduated from North Dakota State University. Former Public School Substitute Teacher, (all subjects all grades). Member of the DAR (Daughters of the Revolutionary War). I am interested in History, especially the history of SR-71. Married, Mother of three wonderful daughters …

Did you know the SR-71 crew set off controlled explosions using Triethylborane (the most dangerous material after fissionable nuclear material) to start the Blackbird engines? – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

SR-71 Blackbird pilot tells the story of when he and his RSO flew a 11.13 hours mission involving 6 refuelings and more than five hours above Mach 3.0 during the Yom Kippur War – The Aviation Geek Club

Upon arrival at Mildenhall to set up recovery operations, Colonel Patrick Halloran, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander, was informed that the British Government was having second thoughts about allowing the SR-71 to land in England. They could not land at Mildenhall. On Oct. 13 Oct, 1973, Pilot Jim Shelton and RSO Gary Coleman in SR-71 …

SR-71 Blackbird pilot tells the story of when he and his RSO flew a 11.13 hours mission involving 6 refuelings and more than five hours above Mach 3.0 during the Yom Kippur War – The Aviation Geek Club Read More »

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